Paper-drying machine.



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A. ALDRICH.

PAPER DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, |914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PAPERYDRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 24, 1914. 19139962@ Patented May 18, 1915.

l3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ALONZO ALDRICH, 0F BELOIT, WISCONSIN.

PAPEBPDBYINQ MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent. A Patented May 18, 1915.

Application led February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,479

To all-whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, ALONZO ALDRICH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Drying Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to paper drying machines having drier rolls or cylinders arranged in groups or sets and supported by,k

sectional frame members arranged in groups or sets corresponding in number to the groups of drying'rolls.

The principal object of the invention is to provide 'a simple, economical and efficient machine comprising a plurality of groups or sets of drying rolls four tiers'high' and a roll-supporting frame formed of a plurality of groups or sets of sectional frame members adapted to be added to or reduced in number, as desired, and to form a strong and rigid frame of any desired size according to the number of groups or sets of rolls to be supported' and operated.

Further objects.- of the invention are to provide a machine comprising duplicate groups or sets of' drying rolls each four tiers high, a frame formed of sectional frame members and suitable driving and connect- `ing gear mechanism, all adapted `to enable paper to be passed through each series of rolls in the same manner andin a direction which will enable the paper to come into contact with a" large area ofthe surface of each roll; to enable rolls to be arranged andv ,operated in groups or sets each having four super-posed tiers, the sets of sectional frame `members corresponding in number to the duplicate sets of drier rolls.

j Other and further objects of the' invention will appear from the following descrip- `tion and claims and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof. The invention consists -in the features, combinations, and details Lof construction. herein described and claimed. v j

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a View in elevation'of a machine constructed in accordance` with my invention and improvements; Fig. 2, aplan view of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a vlew in transverse section,

taken on irregular line 3 of Fig. 1 lookingr my invention and improvements, I provide a .main frame which comprises in its construction a plurality of duplicate sectional lower yframe members a and b which with the end frame members c form the'bottorny tiers `or rows of Sectional frame members upon which are supported intermediate sectional frame members d which are made in duplicate and each of which forms a support for an upper section of the frame member e.` All of the sectional frame members a, b, o, d, and e are made in pairs, the members of each pair being opposite each other and all arranged to form a back frame and a front. frame. The lower sectional frame members a and b are each approximatelyU- shaped.` The members a each have a pair of transversely extending arm portions f which are integral with a base portion and are .spaced apart so as -to admit therebetween a fore' all designated by the same reference.

letter, in order to avoid prolixity. The adjacent arms f and f have spaces h therebetween-l adapted to enable journal boxes or bearings i to be mounted upon arms la and Z which project laterally froml the upright arm portions f and f of adjacent sectional frame, members` a and b. Each sectional frame member d has legs or .bottom portions m which have spaces n therebetween adapted to admit the journal boxes or bearings g which constitute the second series of such boxes and form supports for the second row of drying rolls hereinafter described, said boxes being supported by or upon the upper ends of frame members f and f of the corresponding lower sectional frame members. Each of the frame members d is also provided with a roll-supporting arm or upper frame portion louadapted to form a support fora journal box g of a third series or row of such boxes," for supporting a third tier of drier' rolls hereinafter described'- upper central or mainbody portion p .of each sectional frame member Z is adapted .to form a support ffora journal box g located in the same horizontal plane with bers l also hasv a central space 0r aperture adapted to admit a journal box o which is supported upon la central horizontalframe.

portion or larm o intermediate the approximately U-shaped connected portions` or legs m.

Each of the upper' sectional frame mem bers e has an approximately vU-shaped main body portion comprising lower frame portions or legs @which are spaced apart so as to provide a spacer adapted to' admit a journal box or bearing g which is supported therebetween upon theupper portion p of a corresponding intermediate frame member d, as already described, each of said sectional frame .members e -also having upper roll-supporting portions or arms s which are integral with the approximately U-shaped body portion and adapted to form supports for journal boxes or bearings g located above `and supported yby said frame portions s, which boxes are adapted to form supportsv for the top row of drier rolls hereinafter described. v

At the extreme end-of the machine sectional end frame members c, each havin-g an upper end portion t, similar to the parts f and f of the frame members a and 6,.

serveto support the outermost end portion of the correspondingl intermediate frame members d. The members c are also each provided with a horizontal arm u adjacent toa similar horizontal arm k and adapted to coperate withv the latter in supporting a journal box i located inthe same horizontal planewith other similar journal boxes which in other parts of the machine are supported by similar arms 7c and Z, as already described.,l I

The sectional frame members a, b, o, d, and e, respectively, are made and arranged in pairs, as already suggested, the members of each pair being opposite each other at or adjacent to opposite ends of the'drier rolls to be supported thereby and the j ournal-boxsup porting portions or armsvof each pair are opposite each other and in position to support journal boxes in alinement at opposite ends ofthe drier rollsjto be supported by the journal boxes, thus formingA a` back yframe and a front frame of theA machine.

` The machine frame thu's formed 'may comprise yany desired number of groups vor sets Y of sectional frame members, each comprising a pair of top frame members' e, a pair of in the journal box supported upon the frame portion orV arm 0. Each .of theisecvtional frame mem# termediate frame members d upon which the l frame members e are supported, and a pair of bottom frame members a located intermediate a pair of bottomframemembersb and in supporting engagement with the intermediate frame members d in each group `or set,with the exception of the end groups in which the bottom end frame members c are employed, in positions corresponding with the positions of the frame members b in the intermediate groups or sets. The bottoml frame members bf arranged intermediate the bottom frame members a serve to connect the grou s or sets of frame members,.and the top 'rame members 'e of adjacent groups ma be connected by means of tie-rods or which need only be used at the back of the frame, said braces having their opposite ends removably secured to the frame members e to be connected thereby, by means of bolts or other suitable securing means.

Mounted .in each group or set of sectional frame members is a group or set of drier rolls each comprising rolls 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the roll 2 being provided withI journals2 at its opposite ends rotatably mounted in journalboxes g supported by the bottom sectional frame members a. The rolls 3 have journals 3 and the rolls 8 have journals 8 at opposite ends thereof. The rolls are provided at each end with journals 4 and the rolls 5 with similar journals 5. The rolls 6 are each provided at the opposite ends thereof with journalsI 6', and the rolls 7 with journals 7', and each roll 9 is provided with journals'9 at the opposite ends thereof, all of said journals being rotatably supported in journal boxes g which are in turn supported by the sectional frame members a, yb', c and d, as shown in the drawings.

A suitable form of driving mechanism' for driving 'the drying. rolls, such as that shown in the accompanylng drawings, may vcomprise a maindrive shaft 10 which is mounted 'm suitable bearingsll-.fand adapted to be operativelyconnectedwith a suitable source when cons'tructed-a's' lshownfm theffdrawings comprises a pinion 17';` end the shaft z 12 in v toothed engagementwith a gear or pinion 1,8

on and. rotatablelvwith a shaft 19, saidshaft I 19 being rotatably mounted in Suitable bear?k ings 20 and provided with a pinion`21 xed to said shaft and in toothed or operative engagementl with a gear Wheel 22 which is mounted upon and rotatable with the correspending shaft 16. Any desired number of shafts 16 may be employed as required according to the size of the machine or the number of rolls to be operated, and the shafts 16 are adapted to be connected With any suitable source of power either by means of a shaft 12 for operating a plurality of shafts 16, or by other suitable connecting means.

The shafts 16 are each mounted in suitable bearings 23 and 24 and are each provided with a drivin pinion 25 which is rotatable with the sha t and in toothed or operating engagement with a gear 26 secured in fixed relation to a drier roll 2 of the corresponding group or set of drier rolls to be driven by the pinion or in engagement With Which the driving pinion 25 is mounted. Each of the drier rolls 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the respective groups or sets of rolls of the machine is provided with a toothed gear Wheel 26 secured in fixed relation to and rotatable with said rolls, respectively. These gear Wheels 26 of all of the drier rolls are all of identical construction and are in the form of ordinary toothed spur gear Wheels. These gears of all of the drier rolls are therefore, for the sake of brevity and clearness, designated by the same reference numeral.

In Ieach alternate group or set of drier rolls the gear 26 of the drier roll 2 of such group or set is in toothed engagement with the corresponding driving pinion or gear wheel 25, as already suggested. The pinion 25 is also in toothed engagement with the gear 26 of the drier roll 8 of the same or corresponding group or set of rolls. rIhe gear Wheel fixed to or rotatable with the drier roll 3 is in toothed engagement with the gear which is fixed to the drier roll 4 and is also, by preference, in toothed engagement with an intermediate toothed pinion 27 operatively connected with the same group or set of rolls, Which last mentioned pinion is mounted 'upon a supporting stub shaft 28 journaled in suitable bearings e, as already suggested, and in toothed engagement With the adjacent spur gear 26 which is fixed to orv rotatable with the drier roll 5. yThe corresponding gear 26 fixed to the roll 5 of each group. respectively, is in toothed engagement With a similar gear fixed to and rotatable with the roll 6 and is also in toothed engagement with a similar gear 26 xed to and rotatable with the roll 7 of the same group or set of rolls. The drivr ing pinion 25 may also be in toothed engagement with a simil-ar gear 26 fixed to and rotatable with the roll 9 of the next adjacent group or set of rolls, and the said gear for the roll 9 may be mounted in toothed engagement with a similar gear on or fixed to and rotatable With the adj acent. roll 8 of the last mentioned group or set of rolls. It will thus be seen that by rotating the driving gear 25 in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the hands of a clock, the adjacent drier roll 2 Will be caused to rotate in the opposite direction. The main driving gear 25 being in toothed engagement with the gears fixed to the adjacent drier rolls 2, 3 and 5 of the corresponding group and to the gear fixed to the adjacent drier roll 9 and the gears of all of the drier rolls in each group of rolls operatively connected with such a driving gear being operatively connected as described, the drier rolls will be caused to rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and Will feed a strip of paper 31 between the rolls of each set in the directions indicated by the arrows in said ligure. In each alternate group or set of rolls an intermediate pinion 29 mounted upon a shaft or journal 30, which is rotatably supported in journal boxes i, hereinbefore mentioned, may be used in lieu of the primary or main driving pinion 25, as indicated in Fig. l. The intermediate pinions 29 are, by preference, mounted upon shafts 30, as already suggested, which by preference extend transversely through the machine or from the front frame to the back frame, and have their ends journaled in both frames. The intermedia-te pinion 27, however,'is shown mounted upon a stub shaft 28 which is adapted to be suitably supported by means of a bearing fv, as indicated in Fig. 3, said bearing being of su'Hicient length to afford a suitably firm and strong `support without the necessity of extending the shaft 28 through the machine or to the other frame of the machine. j

The intermediate gear 27 of each or any desired number of the groups of rolls is adapted to be employed as the main driving pinion or gear for such group ofrolls and that when so employed the main driving pinion 25 of such group of rolls may be driven or may serve as an intermediate pinion as desired. The bearings o, and also the bearings or journal boxes g, are each provided with adjusting mechanism comprising a pair of adjusting screws 32 in threaded engagement with the base portions of said bearings or boxes, respectively, on opposite sides thereof, said screws having heads 33 adapted to abut against shoulders 34 in the adjacent sectional frame members and between which shoulders the bearings are located. A lock-nut 35 is mounted in threaded engagement with each adjusting screw and is adapted to hold the adjusting screw in any position to which it is adapted to be adjusted. The bearings 'v are provided With securing bolts 36 inserted. in suitable openings uio in the sectional frame members and adapted to securely hold the bearings, and thereby the journals and gear mechanism supported by said bearings or bearing boxes, in operative position. The bearings g are also eachsecured in a similar manner to the sectional frame members which form supports therefor by means of similar securing bolts 37, which are inserted through suitable openings in the frame members upon which said bearing boxes are mounted. The ad` justing mechanism or adjusting screws for each journal bearing or journal box, respectively, may be of identical construction (see Fig. 4), and it is, therefore, deemed unnecessary to show these-connections in all of the great number of instances in which they occur, or to illustrate in detail the constructions for more than one form of thebearing boxes. Filler plates 38` are mounted beneath the bearing boxes g for such drier cylinders as are to-be supported in a somewhat higher position than other cylinders of the same se` ries. The drier cylinders are thus enabled to be adjusted and supported in proper operative position with the required gear wheels in toothed operative engagement, so as to cause each of the drier cylinders to rotate in the desired direction, all in such a manner that the journ-al boxes used may be of identical construction, and the removably connected sectional frame members may be of the desired uniformity of construction and interchangeable,'and vmay be of dimensions which are'not required to vary in order to enable the desired adjustments to be. obtained.

rhesectionalframe members a, I), c, d and c are removably secured together, as already suggested, by means of screw bolts 39, as indicated in Figs. l and 3, said bolts being inserted *through openings 40 in the frame members, said openings `40 beingof some- I-wliat larger diameter than the bolts, and adapted to permit such adjustment lof the frame members, with respect to one another, as may be found desirable for any reason, for instance, on account of irregularities in form due to shrinkage or other causes.

The means for connecting sectional members a., 6,0, d and c of the respective sets or groups, are the same in each instance.

The mating frame members being .in the form of rights and lofts, it is deemed unnecessary to show the back View of -the machine frame which corresponds in all substantial respects with the front View shown in Fig. 1.

Each set or section of cylinders, when constructed and arranged las herein shown and, described, comprises, by preference, eight cylinders arranged in four'superposed tiers, each tier comprising at leastl two cylinders, as already suggested; lthe axes of the cylinders of the second tier being offset lat- .directly from said cylinder 3 to said -cyldirectly =over the cylinders of the second tier. In other words, the cylinders ofthe second and third tiers are offsetin the same direction with respect to the axial centers of the adjacent cylinders ofthe irst and second tiers.

In operation, the sheet or strip of paper to be operated upon is threaded into position to enga-ge and extend between the cylinders and in 'engagement w-ith and part way around each of the cylinders, and extends in each set be-'Lween a cylinder 4 in the third tier and an adjacent cylinder 3 in the second tier; between the latter and a' cylinder 6 in the fourth tier, being stretched inder 6; between the cylinder `6 and an adjacent second cylinder 5 in the third tier; between the latter and an adjacent second cylinder 7 j in the fourth tier; between the latter and a cylinder 2 in the bottom tier, being stretched directly from said cylinder 7 to said cylinder 2; between lthe latter and a second cylinder 8 in the second tier; between said cylinder Sand a second cylinder 9 in the bottom tier; and between said cylinder 9 and a cylinder` of the next adjacent tier which., as. shown in the drawings, is cyl- .inder 4 in the third tier of an adjacent set ,and corresponds with cylinder 4 of each set of cylinders. It will thus be seen that the strip of paper is threaded between the cylinders of each set in the saine manner, so that its direction of movement through each set is a repetition of its direction of movement through the preceding set or sets, and that the driving mechanism is so constructed and arranged as to connect and drive all ofv the cylinders in operative feeding engagement with the strip of paper and in the direction necessary to cause the paper to move with and between the peripheries of the cyl' inders in the' order above mentioned and in the direction indicated by the arrows, or the reverse. j

From the foregoing it will be seen that the construction and arrangement of the. driving mechanism, the rolls, andthe sectional frame members constituting the respective groups of said members is such as to yenable. the machine as awhole to be built higher'than has heretofore been found practicable and to oecupyvthe minimum amount of space lengthwise. of the machine in proportion t0 the capacity thereof or inl proportion to the length of the web or paper 1,30'

subjected to the simultaneous action of the rolls or extending from the receiving end to the discharge end of the rolls or machine as a'whole, and that any desired number of groups or sets of rolls, sectional frame members, and suitable driving mechanism therefor may be built up or arranged in sections, groups,vor units, the number of which may be increased or decreased, as desired, according to the capacity required. The arrangement is lsuch that the stresses and strains upon the driving mechanism for the rolls for the respective` groups and the connected gears or trains of gearsI for such rolls will be-distributed so as to enable the rolls to be operated without unnecessary or eX- cessiveexpenditure of power.

Other and further advantages derived from applicants construction are: in providing separable, four-tier units, each of which in operation imparts a l maximum drying effect to the paper without necessitating the use of auxiliary rollers; a simple driving mechanism, which drives each roll in the proper direction; and each of said separable units being so constructed that they may be added together by simply connecting their respective driving mechanisms, thereby materially increasing the size of the machine without necessitating either the rearrangement of the driving elements, ory

alteration of the path which the paper takes through the machineu I claim:

l. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, a set of drying cylinders comprising four tiers of cylinders rotatively supported by the frame, each tier comprising at least two cylinders spaced apart with respect to each other and with respect to the cylinders of the adjacent tiers, the cylinders in the second and fourth tiers having their .axial centers offset laterall with respect to the axial centers of the a jacent cylinders of the lower and third tiers, and driving mechanism operatively connected with and acting to rotate all of said cylinders in operative feeding engagement with a strip of paper rained part way around each of said cylin ers, and threaded in position to extend between a cylinder in the irst tier and a cylinder in the third tier, between the latter and an adjacent cylinder in the second tier, between the' latter and a cylinder in the fourth tierbetween the latter and an adjacent second, cylinder in the third tier, between the latter and an adjacent second cylinder in the fourth tier, between the latter and a second cylinder in the first tier, and between the latter and a second cylinder in the second tier.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of sets of parallel rotary cylinders, each set comprising four superposed tiers of cylinders, each tier comprising at least two cylinders' spaced apart with respect to each other and with respect to the cylinders of the adjacent tiers, the cylinders of each tier having their axial centers oii'set laterally with res'pect to the axial centers of the adjacent cylinders of the next adjacent tiers, all. of said cylinders being constructed and arranged in position to operatively engage a strip of paper threaded between the cylinders and part way around and in engagement with a cylinder in the first tier of each set and extending between said cylinder and a cylinder in the third tier, between the latter cylinder and an adjacent cylinder in the second tier, between the latter cylinder and a cylinder in the fourth tier, between the latter and an adjacent second cylinder in the thirdtier, between the latter and an adjacent second cylinder in the fourth tier, between the latter and a second cylinder in the rst tier, between the latter and a second cylinder in the second tier, and into position to engage a cylinder in the next adjacent set of cylinders, a set of sectional frame members for each set of drying cylinders and in supporting engagement with the latter', means for securing the sectional frame members together in sets, and driving mechanism operatively connected with and acting to rotate all of said cylinders.

3. In a machine of thel class described, the combination of `a frame, a set of drying cylinders comprising four tiers of cylinders rotatively supported by the frame, each tier comprising two cylinders, the cylinders in the second and fourth tiers having their axial centers offset laterally with respect to the axial centers of the adjacent cylinders of the iirst and third tiers, each, of said cylinders being provided at one end with a gear wheel concentric therewith, a pinion pivoted equidistantly from the axes of and meshed with the two gear wheels in the first tier and the adjacent gear wheel in the second tier, a second pinion pivoted between the cylinders of the second tier and equidistant from the axes of the adjacent gear wheel in the third tier and the aforesaid pinion-connected gear wheel in the second tier, said inions being operatively engaged with sald gearwheels in the second and third tiers and both gear wheels in the iirst tier so as to turn all of their respective cylinders in the same direction, and each of the remaining four cylinders having their gears meshed directly with an adjacent pinion-connected ear so as to turn its" 4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a frame, a plurality of sets of drying 'cylinders rotatively supported by the frame, each set comprising four tiers of two cylinders each, the'cylinders in .the second and fourth tiers of each s et having theiraxial centers laterally osetwith respect to the axial centers of' the adjacent first and third tiers, each of said cylinders being provided with a gear wheel concentric therewith, each set having two gear pinions mounted on the frame, one of which enmeshes with the two cylinder gears in the first tier and the adjacent gear in the second tier, the other pinion positioned between the cvlinders in the second tier and enmeshed with said cylinder gear in the second,

tier and the adjacent cylinder gear inthe third tier, so that all four of said cylinder gears are adapted to turn inthe same dif;

rection, the remaining four cylinder gears in each set being directly enmeshed each with an adjacent pinion-driven cylinder gear so as to turn in the opposite direction thereto, means for connecting the plurality of sets together, and driving mechanism operatively connected with and acting to ro- 

